Checking Up
by LoveMeNever
Summary: Nora has some troubles coping with the knowledge Shaun is ten years old or older. Piper always seems to know what she needs to feel better. In this case, it's company and an ear to listen. A mild Nora/Piper story.


**Found this story on my computer, edited it a tad, and decided to upload it. Takes place right after Nora goes into the memory den.**

 **Fallout 4 does not belong to me. I'm not making money off of this, it's purely for writing pleasure. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Checking Up**

Returning back to Sanctuary after visiting the memory den with Nick was harder than Nora imagined. She had still been grieving the loss of her husband and son, processing what she found out from Kellogg, and then having to relive the memories that she tried her best to avoid was taking its toll. She felt like she was being swallowed by a dark void. Her mind was reeling.

Shaun was at least ten now, if not older, which means Nora has missed out on a large chunk of his life. In Kellogg's memory, Shaun had called someone at the Institute his father and the painful reality of him having a different set of parents made Nora queasy.

In order to stop herself from taking drink of vodka that was taunting her from across the room, Nora lied down in her bed in the upper level of the "barracks" she and the settlers made. She tried closing her eyes, but when they were closed she saw flashes of her husband being shot and of ten-year-old Shaun. God, he was beautiful. He looked so much like Nate— the naturally tanned skin, the dark hair, the cute nose. He had her eyes, though. Her blue, almond-shaped eyes that Nate always complimented her on everyday even after the years they had been together.

A knock on the hatch to her cozy top floor room brought Nora out of her thoughts, she was almost grateful for the distraction, but she did not want to be bothered now. She thought about ignoring whoever was knocking, but they were pretty persistent. Only one person was _that_ persistent, Piper.

Nora sighed and went to unlock and open the hatch for her… friend. She wasn't sure whether to call her that or not since the two of them clearly felt attraction towards each other. Before Kellogg and finding the truth about Shaun and the memory den, Nora felt herself moving past her husband's death, or at least accepting it. Piper had been a big help with her feelings too. But now she felt the wound reopening from the events of the past few days.

"Hey." She said when coming face-to-face with Piper who still had her hand raised in a knocking motion and was on the stairs awkwardly awaiting to be invited in.

A worried expression was plastered on her face at the sight of Nora. "Hey, Blue… h-how are you doing?"

Nora could see the look of guilt flash through Piper's features, because clearly she had been better, but she knew Piper had no idea what to say. No one did. What could anyone say to make her feel better?

"I, um, I don't really want to talk right now Pipes."

Piper sighed, "I know. Which is why you don't have too, but I just… thought maybe you didn't want to be alone right now."

Nora thought with some anger that it did not seem like anyone's place to tell her what she needed right now, but she knew Piper only had the best intentions.

Piper must have seen the hesitance and slight anger in Nora because she added, "Sometimes whenever you're going through things, you need someone to just… be there, you know? It can help."

Nora chuckled bitterly at the last bit. She doubted it would help, but seeing as the writer was not going to back down, she finally let her crawl up the stairs and enter.

Piper had been in the room many times, but now she seemed so out of place like it was the first time she'd been here. Nora had settled a large picture of the beach, one of her favorite pre-war places, on the wall directly in front of the stairs to stimulate an illusion she was walking to the beach. In the right corner of the room was a ragged couch with an American flag hanging on the wall behind it and a small coffee table in front. She had built the place where both sides of the rooms' walls were open to the outside air with large windows, telling Piper once it was because she wanted to have a good vantage point if raiders ever attacked. Along the right wall there were many wooden crates that held some of her gear, and a metal cabinet carried some of her pre-war items.

On the left was Nora's bed positioned which was the only wall without a window. There were two lightbulbs hanging on each side of the room effectively illuminating the space. Nora remembered when Piper first saw the place, she had been impressed by the design and the thought Nora put into it.

Piper had once admitted it was kind of homey.

Nora sat on the couch and propped her feet on the coffee table. She rested her head on the back of the couch and wall. Her eyes were closed and she tried not to think of anything. That, of course, failed because it only caused her to think more about what she was trying to avoid.

"You can sit." It was not a demand, or at least she didn't intend it to be, but Piper quickly and awkwardly sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

Piper stayed quiet, true to her word, but Nora could literally _feel_ the woman antsy with questions. Instead of being drowned in the silence, Nora sighed and gathered her words carefully. "Do you ever feel like everything in your life has been a waste?"

Nora knew the answer, Piper had told her her fears of not being able to make a difference and just wasting her time on this world, but she felt it might comfort her to hear them again.

"Well of course. I worry a lot that my paper is useless, and that I'm not helping anyone," hastily she added, "But of course that is nothing compared to what you're going through."

Nora nodded. "I went to school for years to get my degree in law, and now look, I wasted all that time and those laws don't even exist anymore."

It made her sick. She knew she never could have known what was in store in the future, but it still left a bitter taste. Piper stayed quiet so she continued.

"Nate and I were starting to put money towards Shaun's future, we bought a new car, Nate was done with the military and going into the workforce, and I only had two more weeks of maternal leave at work. We were _just_ getting our lives started."

She did not have to look at Piper to know the writer was probably either feeling guilty, emphasizing, or a little hurt. Maybe all of them at once. The only thing the other woman did do was scoot closer in silent support.

"And now what am I doing? I'm trying to find Shaun, but he doesn't even know me. He's older now. I've already missed so much of his life. Even if…" she paused searching for her words, " _when_ I find him, will he even want to come with me? Can I still be his mother?"

Piper put her hand on Nora's knee. She was getting so worked up, saying all of her fears out loud was making them feel more real.

"Part of me is actually glad Nate doesn't have to see all of this!" Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and she put her face in her hands. Piper rubbed her back softly and Nora was surprised it actually comforted her.

After a few seconds of silence Piper spoke, her voice cracking slightly. "I can't even pretend to know what you're going through, Blue. I can't answer your questions because I don't know what's in store, but Shaun is still alive and you're going to find him because you're his _mother_. You always have and always will be, and I think Shaun will know that too. And I'm _always_ here for you. No matter what happens."

The genuine feeling in Piper's words broke Nora into little tiny pieces. She felt guilty for everything she said about wasting her time and complaining about the world she's in now. She hadn't meant she wished she had never met Piper or anything like that, but she was suddenly aware that she it must have come across that way. "I'm so sorry, Pipes." She let Piper draw her into a hug.

For a while they stayed in an embrace, but when Nora's tears started to cease, she felt she needed to explain herself.

"Piper."

"Yeah, Blue?"

Nora sat up straighter and gave the other woman an intense look. "I don't want you to think I wish I had never… met you or been here."

A blush crept on Piper's cheeks and she tried to sputter out denials. "No! I-I know that's not what you meant. I mean, it kind of sounded like that, but I get it! I mean you had a great life before all of this," she gestured around, "happened. I'd want to go back too I'm sure. Not that I really know what it was like back then but-"

Nora was giving her a knowing and wry smile which shut Piper up immediately. It was cute the way she rambled, but Nora had been trying to tell her something.

"I… I loved Nate and probably always will in some way…" Nora saw the hurt and disappointment flash in Piper's eyes so she quickly added, "but I have… feelings for you Pipes. And they are real."

"So…" Piper cleared her throat and tugged at her shirt collar. "It's a little hot in here, isn't it?"

Nora knew this was awkward timing. She _had_ just spilled her guts out to Piper, and _not to mention_ told her she'd never stop loving her dead husband. She was never good at these situations. Nate had always been the romantic one. _Damn,_ she cursed herself for still bringing him up when she was trying to say something.

She sighed heavily and gave Piper a pleading frown. "Look," she started carefully, "when I'm with you, things are good. You… help. A lot. I can't imagine how I would be alive right now if it weren't for you, so thank you Piper for everything."

Piper gave a sigh of her own, but Nora noted it seemed more like a sigh of relief than anything. "You're welcome, Blue. I mean I can't have you dying on me. Who would give me ammo and watch my back?" She added with a slight bit of humor to her voice.

They both laughed for a moment before Piper spoke again. "You can count on me, Blue."

The only thing Nora wanted to do now was sleep since it was getting dark out, but she did not feel like sleeping alone. "Piper… would you be okay with staying here tonight? Like I can stay on the couch and you take the bed if you don't feel comfortable sleeping in the bed with me… I just don't want to be alone right now."

The writer smiled and her eyes softened. A pure look of affection towards Nora gleamed in her eyes. "Of course I'll stay. We can both stay in your bed that sounds perfect to me."

Nora turned off the lightbulbs and watched Piper climb into the bed. She followed shortly after, once she had removed her shoes, and turned on her side. Without even needing to ask, Piper wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her close. She felt so safe and comforted in Piper's arms. Nora was overwhelmingly grateful that Piper had come up to check on her, she did feel better.

It did not take long for the two to fall asleep together.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This may or may not become a multiple chapter story, or at least a two-part story, so I'd like to hear your thoughts!**


End file.
